ARTICLES

Investigator of the Kakheti Regional Police Department finished the investigation on Vano Lomidze, member of the Republic Party and head of the district office of the Alliance for Georgia. Lomidze is accused for denouncement and slander; the crime is punished by 8-year-imprisonment. During the preliminary investigation Lomidze pleaded guilty. He said he had burnt his car because of PR campaign of the party though according to the spread information at the moment Lomidze does not plead guilty and intends to make the statement at the trial. Vazha Varadashvili, attorney of the accused, supposes his client will be oppressed because of changed decision before Kvareli district court discusses his case.

Today, the Human Rights Center organized a demonstration regarding the International Day for the Protection of Torture Victims in Vera Park in Tbilisi. Participants protested the facts of torture that have increased in number for the last three months.

Kakheti Investigation office of the Department for Revenues arrested Kote Kapanadze, senior inspector of the Custom-House “Samtatskaro.” Kakheti regional prosecutor’s office blames Kapanadze for having caused the damage of 208 000 GEL to the state budget when he worked at the Telavi district Tax Inspection in 2007. Telavi district court bailed him with 20 000 GEL. The accused said he and his family are persecuted for supporting the opposition parties.

Kakheti regional newspaper “Imedi” ceased publishing. The editorial board of the newspaper made this decision today.

Gela Mtivlishvili, editor of the newspaper “Imedi” stated that private companies and other people have been forbidden to place their advertisements in the newspaper “Imed” under the directions of the Kakheti regional administration for several months already.

An idea of making corridors of shame was appreciated by Georgian law enforcers. They liked the idea so much that they began to arrange corridors of shame at police stations. Today corridors are arranged for those people who made them for other peoples at the buildings of Public Broadcasting and Parliament.

In July 2007 former director of Batumi Water Supply Company Vladimer Mikeladze was awarded with Deed for his professional activities. One month later, law enforcers launched a criminal case against him. The prosecutor claims Vladimer Mikeladze knew that water was polluted and did not inform the local population about it; that means the lives of people were in danger because of his mistake.

On June 14, police officers detained 16-year-old Davit Gordeladze in Gori. He is accused for thievery, though he did not plead guilty. According to the accused, the policemen threatened him to plead guilty. Nino Dalakishvili, a representative of Public Defender in Gori District, stated that many violations were observed during the detention of the accused.

Deputy regional governor who is fond of scandals states “Let those people condemn me who are more decent than I am”

In Kakheti region only relatives, family members, friends or close people of Giorgi Sibashvili, deputy regional governor are employed at public agencies. Lately, the HR policy of the deputy governor has influenced the public schools, the district offices of the Agency of Social Subsidies and private companies too. When commenting on the below-mentioned facts, the vice-governor said he is ready to fight; however, we are doing our professional job.

Influential international organization “International Crisis Group”, which carries out its missions in five continents and its priority is conflict prevention, prepared a report on vetoed observing missions of UN and OSCE in conflict zones of Georgia and considers that it might end in escalation of the situation. The full report is available on the website of the international organization.

IDP Nikoloz Garganjia worked at the Adjara branch of Energo-Pro Georgia since it was founded. He had agreement signed until February 2010 but on May 28, 2009 he was fired because his health conditions were not compliable to his duties. Article 37 - “d” and Article 38 Part I and III of the Labor Code of Georgia are mentioned in the decision on his dismissal.

Initially policemen tried to resolve the problem among each other and only after that started to interrogate the victim

Several days ago, Norwegian journalist Ragnar Skre was attacked by masked people in his flat. The attackers did not demand anything from the journalist – neither money nor other things. The only thing the harassers took from his house is a bag with a photo-camera, Dictaphone and wallet in it. The journalist did not have much money in the wallet, only 60 GEL.

IDPs have problems almost everywhere and they are constantly “assisted” however this assistance is ineffective because they permanently have problems everywhere. Very often the assistance is not only ineffective but also imaginary and IDPs claim that it is part of PR campaign largely shown on TV. It is not doubtful that internally displaced people feel very insulted by similar treatment. Several IDPs visited the Human Right Center last week. They complained about their living conditions and consequently, we visited the IDPs residing in the former building of Military Headquarters of the South Caucasus.

Ten members of the Alliance for Georgia have been detained in different regions of Georgia during the last four days. Tina Khidasheli, the leader of the Republic Party which is a member of the Alliance, provided the information. According to her, members of the Alliance in regional offices in Chokhatauri, Lanchkhuti, Tkibuli, Chiatura, Adigeni, Gori and Tbilisi districts were arrested. Khidasheli stated it once more demonstrates that the government continues the persecution of people on political grounds that will lead the country to serious confrontation.

On May 16, 2009 mothers of the detainees organized a protest demonstration close to the Tbilisi Police Main Department. They decided to write an appeal to Valeri Kakauridze, head of temporary detention setting N 2. The mothers expressed their concern about the health conditions of their sons and requested the law enforcers to take the detainees to hospitals. The female demonstrators were concerned because they were not informed about the health conditions of their sons.

Lela Abesadze lived on the third floor of the three story house in Baratashvili Street N 20, Batumi since 1985. She purchased the one-room flat from a private owner. Neither Abesadze nor other residents of the building had any problems before Levan Varshalomidze was appointed as the chairperson of the government of the Adjara Autonomous Republic. His father Guram Varshalomidze lives in the same building.

On June 14, President Mikheil Saakashvili met the parliamentary majority. During the meeting the president reproached law enforcers who prevented journalists from their professional activities and required to protect the rights of journalists. After the president’s speech some officials apologized for having abused journalists and others. The Ministry of Internal Affairs fired three policemen for assaulting the journalists. Although preventing journalists from their professional activities is considered a crime, not a single policeman was charged up to now.

Because of detention of Zaal Gudadze from Alliance for Georgia and Tamaz Tlashadze, supporter of the same party a rally will be organized in Gori. Members of the Alliance plan to hold the demonstration in the yard of the Gori State Theatre. Members of the local branch of the party hope that Tina Khidasheli and Davit Berdzenishvili from Tbilisi office of their party will join them.